The disclosed invention relates generally to a medical device, and in particular, to a ureteral stent with a dissolving portion.
Known ureteral stents are typically placed within a urinary tract of a patient such that one end portion of the ureteral stent is located in a kidney of the patient and another end portion of the ureteral stent is located in either a bladder or a ureter of the patient. Known ureteral stents are typically positioned within the urinary tract of the patient by placing a guidewire within the patient, sliding the ureteral stent on the guidewire, and then forcing the ureteral stent along the guidewire into a desired position within the patient using a push rod. Such ureteral stents are often removed from the patient by pulling the ureteral stent from the urinary tract of the patient.
Some known ureteral stents include a retention member at a kidney end portion of the ureteral stent and a retention member at a bladder end portion of the ureteral stent. The retention member of the bladder end portion of the ureteral stent is configured to be placed within the bladder to help prevent migration of the ureteral stent upwardly toward the kidney. Similarly, the retention member of the kidney end portion is configured to be placed within the kidney to help prevent migration of the ureteral stent downwardly toward the bladder.
Known ureteral stents often cause pain and discomfort to the patient once the ureteral stents are positioned within the body. In particular, the retention member of the bladder end portion can irritate sensitive regions in the bladder such as the trigone region and/or intramural tunnel. Thus, a need exists for a ureteral stent that substantially reduces and/or minimizes irritation of sensitive regions of a urinary tract of a patient.